The Fall: Fantasy or Reality
by retrolily
Summary: After the events of 7x06, The Doctor and Clara are shocked to find a girl appear in the TARDIS. The girl believes she is dreaming, with no memory of what she was doing in the time before she arrived. Is she asleep? Did she hit her head? Or was there truly a glitch in time and space that made the girl appear somewhere she shouldn't be?
1. Intro

**The Fall: Fantasy or Reality**

**Synopsis**

After the events of 7x06, The Doctor and Clara are shocked to find a girl suddenly stumble out of one of the TARDIS hallways. Someone who the Doctor is certain, wasn't there earlier. The girl believes she is dreaming, with no memory of what she was doing in the time before she arrived.

Is she asleep? Did she hit her head? Or was there truly a glitch in time and space that made the girl appear somewhere she shouldn't be?

The girl travels with the Doctor and Clara, and as the time together stretches on, she has to find out if all her adventures are indeed just her imagination or if she really did fall into another dimension where TV and reality are one in the same. With the help of Clara, she slowly pieces together what she was doing before her sudden trip. And if she does find her way back home to her real life...will she ever be able to find her way back?

* * *

**THE TARDIS**

"You, know. The thing about a time-machine though..." The Doctor says to Clara Oswald, as he swings down from the steps and slides towards her. "You can run away all you like and still be home in time for tea, so whaddaya say?" The Doctor looks at Clara and she is beaming. "Anywhere. All of time and space right outside those doors."

Clara then quickly glances behind her at the TARDIS door, then proceeds to burst out laughing. "Does this work?" She asks the Doctor, chuckling.

"Ay?" He asks, visibly confused.

Clara laughs again. She then maneuvers around the Doctor, then flips around to look at him. "Is this actually what you do?" She asks. "Do you just crook your fingers and people just jump in your snog-box and fly away?"

"It is not a snog-box." The Doctor protests, loudly.

"I'll be the judge of that." Clara folds her arms confidently, and looks up at him with a smirk.

"Starting when?" He asks, before folding his arms as well, then dropping them. Then, awkwardly lowers himself to Clara's height.

Clara taps her fingers against one of her tightly crossed arms as she thinks for a moment, then says, "Come back tomorrow." She pauses. "Ask me again."

"Why?" The Doctor asks her suspiciously, while looking away.

"Coz tomorrow, I might say yes." Clara spins around happily and opens her mouth to shout the time he should show up, but she stops when she hears a loud thump from somewhere in the TARDIS.

Clara and the Doctor both stop and look toward the right, up, and past the stairs where the corridor is.

"What was that?" Clara asks frightened, her arms partially raised from her side.

_"Shit!"_ A voice shouts from one of the rooms.

"Oy, and what a mouth!" Clara calls out enthusiastically, not as scared as she was before. The Doctor just looks at Clara, then back towards the hallway.

"Whoever you are...you shouldn't be here so come out right now!" He calls out.

Then out she came. All the way out of the corridor, through the doorway and towards the top of the steps. The girl.

She looked young - no more than twenty. She had tan skin, a head of long, thick curly black hair that went to the edge of her shoulders. Her eyes were dark brown and she had a small pointed nose and full lips that were slightly parted, as she gaped at her surroundings. She was wearing a burgundy turtleneck, black skinny jeans and black combat boots.

She looks around at the TARDIS, amazed. Then, looks at the both of them standing there watching her. First at Clara, who was closest to her. Then, at the Doctor who was beside the controls. She marvels at them confused, and looking like she wants to run.

"It's a girl." Clara turns to the Doctor in shock. "A girl," she repeats. "What is a girl doing here, Doctor?"

The Doctor puts his head in his hands. "Not this again," He mutters quietly.

* * *

**A/N:** Me having fun and trying something new.

I really am only up to 7x06 as of today, but I can't believe I missed "The Snowmen" special. I didn't even know there was a special after Rory and Amy left. I thought it just went to 7x07 next. Now I have to go back. I'm so mad. This is my 2nd time or 3rd time doing this.

Anyway, I hope you like my intro.

*i'm caught up with all episodes now


	2. The Bells of Saint John

The Bells of Saint John

**Elissa's POV**

There they were. Matt Smith and his co-star who played Clara and whose name I couldn't remember. They stood below me. Clara near the bottom of the steps and Matt by the TARDIS controls. They both gazed up at me, then back at each other.

"Where am I...what's going on?" I ask aloud.

"Um..." Matt began to say.

"Is this a film set...Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." I clasp my hands over my mouth, hoping if I looked sorry they would let me off easy for trespassing, but I was even more confused when neither of them agreed or corrected me.

"Doctor?" Clara turns to him again, but he just dismisses her by raising his hand.

"One second." He says.

_No wait_, I thought, dropping my hands. That doesn't make sense. How _did_ I get here? I couldn't remember what I was doing before. Why couldn't I remember?  
Plus, there were no cameras or camera men around. This can't be a set. Can it? Or I would have been kicked off a long time ago.

"Uh, no this is definitely not a film set. This is my ship." The Doctor answers slowly, glancing at Clara. "How did you get here?"

Eerily, this looked exactly like the last episode of _Doctor Who_ I watched just after Amy and Rory stopped being companions. Clara was going to be the new companion obviously and she had just finished telling The Doctor about her leaf that was actually page one - or something. Me and my mom never got that part. Then, the Doctor started up the TARDIS, announcing he was going to find out who she was.

"Doctor..." the woman turns and calls out to him. While waiting for my reply, he looks at her, still mystified by my appearance, "You never said anything about having another person on board."

She crosses her arms. "Why would you ask me to come along if you had her?" She lifts one of crossed arms to point to me. I kept quiet. She was calling him "Doctor". Why was she calling him that like it was actually his name?

"Uh, well you see actually, I didn't have her a minute ago." He says to her, as he begins walking closer to Clara and I. "I had no one. So I, like you, have no idea who this lovely lady is...So let me sort this out please."

The Doctor then turns to me. "How did you get here?" He asks again, now standing by the bottom of the steps, closer to Clara but keeping some distance between him and I. I didn't even know how to answer that.

"Can you step down please, thank you?" He calls out to me.

I slowly trudge down the steps to meet him. I don't go down all the way, but to the second last step instead. Clara stands off to the side with her arms still folded.

"Um, your name is Matt Smith, right?" I ask, pointing at him.

"I think you mean John. I've never went by the name Matt - short for Matthew... Anyway, I'm the Doctor, who are you?"

OK... he was talking exactly like him. Rambling the way the 11th Doctor did. Why would he do that - to confuse me?

I shake my head. "No... I know who the Doctor is currently and you're not him. You're definitely the old one." I was still in series 7 of the revival, but I knew there was a new guy in series 8 and it definitely wasn't him.

"The old one...hmm." The Doctor says. "There isn't a new one as far as I know, unless you know something I don't... What do you mean old? You think I'm old?"

"No, I mean you left the show...after 7, right?"

"Left the show. What show? Like in a circus "show"?" He questions. He was definitely confused, but then again so was I. Clara just looked annoyed.

"No, television." I tell him. "Are you two just being funny?" I look at them both. "Pretending like it's real as a joke?" I ask. Then I pause. "Oh, I get it now. This is a dream..." I laugh. "Because you don't even exist."

It makes sense, I thought. I can't remember what I was doing before this and suddenly I'm here. Just like that. I didn't walk here. And I do not live in England. So wow - I am dreaming about Doctor Who. This was a dream and definitely my coolest one to date.

"I haven't had one so vivid since a few years ago," I mutter to myself. The Doctor and Clara both just look at each other.

"Everything is so solid...so real." I say out loud, running my hands against the railings. "The details are amazing." I look around at the TARDIS. The console with all the buttons...the fluorescent lights in the middle."Plus, it's like I have thoughts...full control and time actually moves like normal. This is crazy." I muse.

"Excuse me miss, what's your name?" The Doctor clasps his fingers in front of him and moves even closer to me, so he was right in front of me now. I quickly glance at Clara who was looking impatient.

"Um, Elissa." I tell him, warily.

"Well Elissa, I'm the Doctor, like I told you. Definitely not the old one, mind you - and that's Clara, the new one." He points to the woman who I knew to be dating Rob Stark in real life. I still couldn't remember her real name though.

"And no, this is not a dream," He continues. "So don't you dare tell me I'm not real, thank you very much. It's insulting."

"OK...Sorry..." I shrug. I decided to play along. It was a dream after all. That way it would be much more fun. That's what you're supposed to do in dreams anyway. Not question anything. Just go along with things and do them. Even if they're crazy. I've always wanted to travel with The Doctor, even if it was in my own head. Fighting it might cause me to wake up. I didn't want to wake up, not yet. I would go along with the story and try to remember every single detail after it was over so I could write it down in my dream journal after I woke.

"Good..now!" He claps his hands together and turns towards Clara. "Clara, you go wait outside while I get rid of Elissa." I open my mouth to tell him I'm not going anywhere, but Clara speaks first.

"No way...I'm not waiting. I was here first, _mind you_, Doctor." Clara tells him, boldly.

"Alright then." He turns to me. "You wait here while I say goodbye to Clara. Is that alright? Of course it is. And don't you go wandering off...I don't trust you yet." OK this talking fast thing was cute in the show, but in real life, it was definitely irritating, I thought. I felt out of breath and I haven't even done anything.

"No offence," He continues. "but I really don't know who you are... so you... just... stay... here." He puts his hands on both of my shoulders, and pushes me so I am forced to shuffle backwards like a duck.

"In the doorway. Here." he says, then lets me go.

He moves away then tilts his head and looks at me. "Maybe back a bit. In the hall, but still in the doorway, so I can see you."

"Here?" I ask, smiling slightly as I take a step back towards the door I had come from. What did he really think I would do to his precious TARDIS? I was now leaning against a wall and to either side of me was a different part of the TARDIS. I wanted to see it all. I turn back to face the Doctor.

"Yes..." He tells me. "Now don't move, Missy."

He then runs downstairs to return to Clara and lead her off. "Clara - you...with me." He says to her. She was still looking at me as she hesitantly followed.

I was curious about the rest of it and the rooms we never got to see. It was a fake set in reality, but still. I bet my mind could create something cool and imaginative. I had just seen this hallway. What was the rest of this place like? I created it, I might as well get to see it.

The Doctor and Clara are both closer to the door now. The Doctor has his back to me, but Clara's view is directed right at me. Would she say anything if I snuck off? I slowly take a step to my right and look at Clara again. Her eyes meet mine and she grins slightly, but then she looks away. "So Doctor?" She says, loudly.

I guess that was my cue. I take off walking down the corridor.

* * *

"So Doctor...?" With Elissa gone, she lowers her voice a bit. "Who is she?" Clara asks.

"No idea. Whaddaya say we figure it out together?" The Doctor asks, hopefully.

"Maybe, I don't know...Though she could be an evil monster in disguise who's plotting to kill you." She pauses. You'll still have to ask me again tomorrow." She adds with a smile.

The Doctor frowns. "Alright. Whatever you say."

"Some time after 7 OK with you?" Clara asks, cheekily.

"It's a time machine...anytime's OK." The Doctor says quietly, a little hurt that she still had not decided.

"See you then." Clara goes to open the TARDIS door, then stops.

"Hey, Doctor?" She turns around.

"Yes?" He looks up.

"That girl - how do you think she got here? How is that possible? Do you know?" Clara asks him, one hand on the door.

"I'm not sure..." He begins to say.

"Is she alien?"

"No, she's definitely human. Just lost - and very American."

"Well then - you better not get rid of her." Clara tells him. "I wouldn't mind another person to travel with besides you...especially a girl. She seems..." Clara glances toward the spot where Elissa was supposed to be standing, then back at the Doctor. "...nice" Clara says with a grin.

"I thought you haven't said yes to travelling with me yet?" The Doctor questions her, a smile growing on his face.

"I haven't - but if I did. I would like her there please." Clara moves her hand towards the door handle, about to pull on it.

The Doctor was turning around and heading toward the controls - then, he stops and flips back around.

"Clara!" The Doctor shouts.

"Uh-huh!" She turns back around as well.

"In your book there was a leaf...why?" He asks, scrunching his nose.

"That wasn't a leaf." She pauses. That was page one." Clara pulls the door open, steps outside and is out of sight.

The Doctor turns round. "Right then, Clara Oswald." The Doctor announces. "Time to find out who you are." The Doctor practically dances toward the controls, ready to start up the machine, then comes hastily to a stop when he remember his uninvited guest.

"Oh, wait, But first I have to deal with my new guest, Elissa." He whips his body towards the hallway exit. "And now she's disappeared. Lovely."

"Nope." Elissa pops her head out from the door. "I'm still here." She emerges from the doorway and skips down the stairs towards him. "Didn't get far though," she mumbles.

"Now, where were we?"

* * *

**Elissa's POV**

"I'm sorry, but you're not getting rid of me. You brought me here." I tell him, folding my arms.

"I did no such thing."

"Whatever. I'm here to travel with you. That must be the reason I just showed up," I say.

"I don't think so...In fact, I think you're just a big mistake."

"Oh, gee...thanks," I say under my breath.

"You said you were here to travel with me...So you know who I am then... That I'm a Time Lord?" He asks, warily.

"Yes." I tell him. I knew a lot of things about him.

"You knew I was "the Doctor."...even before I told you?" He asks.

"Yes." I say again.

"Interesting..." He begins tapping his chin. "Well, I was going to kick you out - sorry - but Clara told me not to, so it's fine now. I guess, I wouldn't mind having another companion. Well, she wouldn't mind... Anyway, Elissa what do you remember doing before you got here?"

"I don't remember. Sleeping. I think I'll only be here for a short while. So don't worry about the "how" or "why" part, Doctor. How about let's just "do" and pretend I'm just another person you picked up. OK?" I ask.

"Excuse me, how do you know I pick people up, Miss bossy American?"

"I'm Canadian, actually and -." I begin to say.

"Ooh, Canadian." The Doctor beams, cutting me off. "Even better. Wait then what are you doing in England...in my ship?"

"I don't know. I just appeared, like I said. Now quit asking me the same questions." I tell him.

"Yeah, but how...Well...you don't know either, I presume, well we can figure that out later. First we have things to see."

"You mean picking up Clara?" I ask, remembering. "She told you to find her tomorrow at 7. So that's where you're going. To tomorrow at 7."

"Yes...she did. Nice to know you were eavesdropping on our conversation."

"I wasn't actually." I tell him. "I was exploring your TARDIS, but that's what she said to you on the last e-" I stop myself and scrunch my eyes shut. I had to remember. No TV talk. No dream talk. I didn't want to ruin the experience. For right now, this was real. There was no show. This was real. OK.

I open my eyes to see that the Doctor staring at me.

"The last what?" He asks me, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing," I say, trying to brush it off.

"No...you were about to say something," he says, now intrigued.

"Never mind."

"Is it more TV show nonsense...about me being Matt Smith?"

"Yea, but I was just kidding." I lie. "I _was_ listening to you guys actually. It was a joke, nothing more... Hahaha." I trail off.

The Doctor scrunches his face. "You're a very peculiar person, Elissa. Elissa." He repeats. "Elissa - What's your last name, Elissa?"

"Why do you want to know?" I ask, defensively.

"I don't know, I just do." He replies, practically didn't sound very angry, he just liked to shout loudly for some reason.

"I like knowing people's last names," He says. "... last names are cool."

"Well I'm choosing not to tell you," I say. This was me being difficult. Me being difficult for no other reason than the fact that it was my dream and I could do whatever I pleased.

"Wait...well why not?" He asks in a huff.

"No reason. Just because I can."

"Because you can?" he scoffs. "That's quite a stupid reason," he tells me, folding his arms.

"Good...still won't tell you though." I say, shaking my head.

"Alright. Just see if I care, then." He turns his nose up at me.

"OK Doctor," I reply, unconvinced. The Doctor glances back at me and I look away, smiling. "Can we leave then now?" I ask.

"Yes we can. Off we go..."

"To pick up Clara, right?" I ask.

"No..." He bellows. "...not exactly. Not yet...Hold on!" He shouts.

The Doctor pulls one of the levers, then spins around to press some buttons on the other side, almost knocking me over.

"Then where?" I ask, leaning against one of the panels for balance.

"We're going to find out more about Miss Clara Oswald." He announces with a smile.

* * *

**A/N:**

Chapter titles will correspond with the episode titles I guess. For now, anyway.

Please let me know what you think.


	3. The Mystery of Clara

The Mystery of Clara

**Elissa's POV**

I dart away from the panels and make my way over to the staircase. The Doctor is still watching me with curiosity as I do. I scoot onto the steps and take a seat, while I still have some balance.

For some reason, even though I can't remember what had happened or where I was before I got here...I remember a feeling of intense anger. A dreadful feeling that wouldn't go away. One that bounced around in the back of my head. I tried to shake it off. I was having my own Doctor Who adventure. Why should I care about anything else? I think I might even crap my pants if woke up to find that any of the stuff I was dreaming about had actually happened in the show. I would need to make sure to remember all of this for when I woke up.

Anyway, I wouldn't think about that now. _Forget your old life for now and and just be in the moment_, I told myself. No thinking about university and definitely not about what classes you have in the afternoon once you wake.

The TARDIS begins to shake a little, bringing me back down to Earth. I glance at the Doctor who is around the console navigating the controls. He quickly glances up at me as well.

"Are you holding on?" He asks, still fumbling and moving back and forth between levers and more buttons.

"Yes." I say as I hold onto one of the rails, almost getting thrown off the steps as we come to a final stop.

"OK... out we go." He tells me, as he leaps up towards the door. "Come on."

The Doctor leads me down a sidewalk. We are walking side by side on a quiet street in the middle of town. The Doctor's hands are in the pockets of his brown tweed coat. Looking down, I find it funny how short his pant legs are in person.

I look up again. The leaves are getting ready to fall...the weather is chilly.. so I assume it's Autumn.

"Where are we.. The eighties?" I ask him.

"You mean when...and yes. 1981 to be exact, but we're in Blackpool." He tells me.

"I can tell by the clothes. Definitely eighties..." I note. "Well what are we doing here?" I ask, ready to see something exciting. "What is there to see here?"

"First, I'm going to a shop."

"To do what?" I ask.

"To buy something...what else do you do in shops?" He answers.

I ignore his obvious attitude and continue walking. The harsh winds are throwing my bouncy curls in spirals around my face, causing me to have trouble seeing anything in front of me..

"The wind is crazy today." I point out.

"Yeah, I noticed that too," he agrees, clutching his tweed coat shut, as the wind so desperately tries to keep it open. "You should have brought a coat."

"You never said anything about a jacket," I reply bitterly, as I hold onto my arms over my dark ruby turtleneck sweater. I shiver.

The Doctor then stops outside a corner shop and holds the door open for me. "Here."

"Thanks," I say as I walk into the store and wait for him. He peers around behind him first, before he finally follows me inside.

"Alright, what do you need?" I ask, while standing by the entrance where the cashier and an array of flowers are. I don't think he plans on staying here too long.

"This." He walks past me and to the middle of the store, where a large shelf full of retro magazines, and books are, then grabs a paper comic from a shelf. I watch him first grab one, hesitate, then grab another... All without even looking at them.

He walks over to the cashier, but I hear him mumble to himself quietly, "Hmm... for some reason I thought I needed just one," as he pays for them. He then quickly tucks them under his arm and struts towards me.

"That?" I ask him. "You didn't even look at it." I outstretch my hand. "Give it here."

He hands me one, but keeps the other in his left hand and continues walking out the store.

I run to catch up with him. "The Beano..." I read aloud. "Summer Special 1981. A children's comic?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Yeah, well what's in the book is not important, Elissa. We're not actually reading them. I just needed the book...books...Now hurry up. We'll sit over there." He points towards a bus shelter with a bench inside.

We both jog across the street and sit down inside. He holds his comic open over his face and I decide to do the same. We both probably looked like idiots.

"What are we looking out for?" I whisper to him, behind our shield of books.

"For that," he lowers his book and gestures towards a man walking down the street with a newspaper in his hand. The wind is causing his paper to move in all directions. The Doctor raises his comic again and so do I.

I turn to the Doctor again. "Who is that man?" I ask.

"He's nobody." The Doctor mutters.

"Oh, please. " I say a little too loud for the The Doctor's liking, so he shushes me. I continue quieter. "You're the one who said we were going to find out more about Clara." I protest. There is no way that guy is just a nobody.

"Oh..." he whispers with obvious sarcasm. "So you do have a brain then...Well see if you can guess who he is, then."

"Oh, shut-up," I glare at him.

"Keep your book up please," is all he says to me. I still decide to peek and lower my book slightly anyway.

I was watching the man walk, when suddenly, a leaf comes out of nowhere and flies into his face and somehow directs him into the street.. Right into the way of an incoming car.

"He's gonna get hit! We have to help him." I say as I stand up, gripping my comic book.

"No, no, no. Stay here and just watch. No interfering." The Doctor practically shouts, as he grabs onto my hand, shoving me back into my seat.

"Book up!' he says to me, but he doesn't even lift up his own. Again I didn't listen. The man was about to be hit by a car.

Then, the man turns round, expecting to be hit. I expect him to be hit as well - but it doesn't take long for a woman to appear and yank him out the way just as the car honks.

"Oh my stars, are you alright?" The woman says. The Doctor raises his comic again.

"I'm fine." The man replies. They are both smiling at each other in a way that makes me want to smile too. I look at the Doctor in shock though I can't see his whole face.. Did he know all that was about to happen? It didn't look like he did, but he wasn't all that shocked either.

Finally the Doctor lowers his book again and is watching the couple intently.

"Oh, I get it now." I whisper to the Doctor. "The leaf...those are Clara's mom and dad."

"Yes..." he answers slowly, but he still seems a bit suspicious of the whole thing.

"This is how they met, and that's the leaf from her book.

"Mmhm." He nods.

"They kept it." I say to myself. "That whole time they kept it."

* * *

_**A neighbourhood alley somewhere in Blackpool, England...**_

The Doctor opens the TARDIS door and reveals that it's nighttime... And raining heavily.

"Still the 80s?" I ask, as I peek out.

"Yes." He answers.

"You're going out in the rain...like that?" I observe, stepping back, noticing his lack of proper outerwear and umbrella. "To stalk Clara's parents?"

"I'm not stalking anyone." He protests.

"I think I'll stay in here..where it's dry." I tell him.

"Suit yourself," he calls out as he waddles out the door. When he is outside, he walks straight ahead, and moves into a steady jog towards a bunch of houses across the way. I shut the door behind him.

After no more than five minutes of waiting, I decide to pop out quickly - void of any rain gear - to see what is happening. I didn't want to miss something important.

I run out to the Doctor and latch my arm onto his, startling him and nearly knocking him to the side.

"Do you know what the word stealth means?" He whispers to me harshly. Though I can't really take him seriously when he gets upset. Not with that face...or voice or anything else about him for that matter. I made sure not to smile.

"Sorry," I say, letting go of him. "It's kind of slippery out here."

He raises his finger to his lips and gestures for me to listen.

It was Clara's dad: _"And if just one of those tiny little things had never happened then...I'd never have met ya."_

Clara's mom's face lights up with a smile.

_"Which makes this the most important leaf in human history."_ He adds.

Clara's mom then leans into her dad and they kiss passionately under the cover of their umbrella.

I turn to the Doctor. "Is this what you wanted to see?" I ask innocently, glancing up at him.

He doesn't answer. The Doctor then turns away slowly. "Come on, Elissa. Let's go."

* * *

_**A park somewhere in Blackpool, England...**_

"We're in a park? Stalking them again?" I question. The Doctor casually steps out from the row of shrubs we are hiding behind, without answering me.

"I think you might not want to go so close." I call to him from my hiding spot. "Maybe you should go back behind the bushes. We can still see from here."

"Stealth, remember? I mean look at what you're wearing," I continue. He then looks behind at me with his mouth open, like I had offended him.

"What I'm wearing?" He grumbles.

"You look odd standing out here alone." I add.

"No way, not me...I can't look odd ...not with you standing with me." He beams, outstretching his arm for me to grab onto.

I hesitantly come out from behind the leaves, and we link arms. Oh, and this time I have a jacket. One that is over-sized and teal blue. Very 80s chic. I stand rocking back and forth on my heels, as we very un-stealthily watch a young Clara as she kicks a soccer ball around with her parents.

I just watch on... And that's when I see it coming. I casually let go of the Doctor's arm and take a step back. I even smile a little - because right then, little adorable Clara, kicks her soccer ball right over to us, and it smacks the Doctor right in the side of the head. It causes him to fall to the ground. I guess he should have been paying attention. What the hell was he looking at anyway?

I try to stifle a laugh, just as the Doctor pops back up, clearly on high alert after nearly having the wind knocked out of him.

I bite my lip and turn to the side so he couldn't hear me giggling, just as Clara's mom comes running over to us in her cute little matching jean outfit.

"Oh my stars, are you alright?" She calls as she reaches us.

"Fine...marvellous...refulgent..." He begins rambling. "Possibly a touch embarrassed." He adds. "That's not dangerous is it?" The Doctor asks Clara's mom.

"What's not?" She questions, unsure of what he is talking about, then looks at me for an answer. I am confused as well.

"Embarrassment." he tells her.

"Not usually..." She smiles. "Not to my knowledge."

"Good...hey..." he points at her, with a grin.

Then over comes Clara's dad, bringing a young Clara with him. I smile at her, while moving closer beside the Doctor.

"Phew!" The Doctor sighs, cheerfully.

"Plus your friend seemed to have been having a laugh," she raises her chin towards me, and I embarrassingly purse my lips together as tightly as I can. I accidentally let out a small laugh anyway.

"Friend...what friend...Was she?" The Doctor glances at me. "Stop that you."

Clara's dad approaches as the Doctor turns to him. "I'm so sorry," he tells the Doctor. "She wants to be Bryan Robson."

"No worries...my fault..no harm done." The Doctor reassures him.

He then crouches down towards shy little Clara. "Hello there..." he begins. He then lifts his head towards her mom.

"Clara," she tells him as if he didn't already know.

"Ahh..." he replies, turning back toward her. "Hello there Clara," he says with a smile.

* * *

_**A sidewalk somewhere in dreary Blackpool, England...**_

"Are we still in Clara's past?" I ask, as we stroll along another sidewalk in England. They all look the same to me really. The Doctor was being extremely quiet for some reason. He obviously knew where were were headed, but had yet to tell me.

"What's the date today?" I ask him, glancing up as more wind blew in my face. It was early spring and the air was cool, but foggy.

"March 13th 2005," he replies, glumly.

"And whats so special about that?"

"It's the day Clara's mum was buried." He tells me.

"Oh...wow." I reply quietly. I looked up to see we had stopped outside of a gated cemetery.

...

We stood behind a tree watching Clara and her father as they held each other. We only watched them for a few minutes, before we left, the Doctor not saying anything to me as we did.

"Now I have two mysteries..." The Doctor announces once we were back in the TARDIS. "The mystery of who you are Miss Elissa, and how you got on my ship... And the one about Clara and why she is so familiar." He says aloud. "Two mysteries to solve and I can only do one at a time so I guess yours will have to wait."

He turns to me. "For now... like you said, I'm treating you like just another person I "picked up", as you put it."

"Fine with me." I tell him, nonchalantly. "I want to learn more about Clara as well."

"And you can't say anything to her...do you understand?" He asks.

"My lips are sealed."

"So tell me what's the deal with her... ?" I ask as I make my way back to my favourite spot on the steps. "I mean, I think I know some bits."

"What bits do you know?" The Doctor asks with unnecessary suspicion.

"Oh...um..." I didn't want to let him know that I knew things that I shouldn't. How would I explain any of that? Or did I even need to? It was my dream - but they never exactly go the way you want them to.

"That she is familiar, I guess. Like you said." I answer.

"Oh, OK. " he says, seeming convinced that was actually what I meant. "Right well, not too long ago I was travelling...travelling with some friends. No, not travelling I was abducted. We all were. Well I was tricked...they were abducted...anyway, we were transported to a spaceship housing the Parliament of Daleks...Do you know what Daleks are?" He asks, finally stopping for breath.

"Yes," I tell him quickly.

"Good because I don't feel like explaining it to you...Anyway, they wanted us to go to a planet called the Asylum... a planet that they keep Daleks that have gone insane. So they wanted to destroy it... And the only way the could was if the force-field was down...which we were suppose to deactivate in order to grant our freedom...something that could only be deactivated from the inside the planet itself." He finally pauses. "So they gave us bracelets to..."

"OK, never mind." I stop him, raising my hands in the air. I really didn't feel like getting all this information told to me again. "Please stop." I tell him.

"What is it?" He asks, looking puzzled.

"I'm sorry, but I know all that stuff already," I answer, feeling slightly guilty for cutting him off. "And really don't want to hear it all again if you don't mind."

"You know? How do you know?" He asks me, warily.

"Is it important? Let's just say that when I got here, I took some information with me. I know all abut the Snowmen as well, and the pond with the ice woman - and the actual Pond's... and how sad you were..." I adds. "And the souffle and the Dalek nanogenes and... " I finally stop rambling.

The Doctor takes a step back and gives me a funny look.

"_Run, you clever boy, and remember._" I recite. "A woman...Clara I guess, said that to you both times as a different person, once in the Dalek prison and again in Victorian London. Also on the phone with Clara yesterday - or is it today...anyway, you heard her say it again."

"How do you know all that?" He begins, looking at me incredulously. "Now I definitely want to figure out who you are."

"Trust me you don't." I assure him. "It isn't worth it and it isn't important." The for sure way for me to ruin this dream was to have him focus on me instead of Clara and saving planets, like he should be.

"Oh, I think it definitely is important, Elissa. I wouldn't say that if I didn't believe it to be true."

"OK..how about this?" I offer. "Once you... we.." I correct. "...Find out who Clara is, then we can find out who I am and how I got here, OK?"

At first he just stares at me. "OK..." he finally says, with uncertainty in his voice.

"And we don't do one before we finish the other, OK?" I add.

"Alright...then." He agrees, still a bit uneasy.

"Can we go get Clara then now...please?" I ask, glad that I had finally gotten his focus off of me again.

For a moment, he doesnt say anything. Then he finally looks up at me.

"First I have some things to look at...About Clara...only about Clara...for now that is."He says, pointing at me. He walks over the console and turns on one of the monitors. I stand behind him watching, with my arms folded - a move I had stolen from Clara. I quite liked it a lot, as I was someone who never really quite knew what to do with her hands.

An old picture of Clara Oswin Oswald comes up on the screen. Obviously the Victorian barmaid/governess one from The Snowmen special.

"She's just a girl...how can she be?" The Doctor mutters to himself.

"What are you talking about?" I ask him, standing up on my tip-toes.

He ignores my question and continues ranting.

"She can't be," he shouts, as an ID card for Oswin Oswald comes up this time, the woman who was turned into a Dalek.

"What is it?" I ask again, annoyed that he was ignoring me.

Then a photo of Clara's graduation comes onto the screen, where she is grinning from ear to ear. "She is", The Doctor says, sounding exasperated this time. I figured it was best to let him continue talking to himself.

"She can't be," he says again. He then furiously slides the monitor out of his way and finally turns around to look at me - though not really seeing me.

"She's not possible." He announces, irritated.

* * *

**A/N:**

I can't believe I wrote a whole chapter based on 3 minutes of an episode...anyway...

Opinions are appreciated :) Thanks

Also you will be finding out about Elissa, bit by bit each chapter.

Ayy! I also went back and saw the Christmas special as well as the next episode obviously. It makes more sense now. Did I mention how much I love Madame Vastra and Jenny. And Strax is such a little bee-otch. I love him.

**NEXT UP:** Chapter 4, The Rings of Akhaten Pt 1


	4. The Rings of Akhaten Pt 1

The Rings of Akhaten Pt 1: Have You Seen Her?

**{Elissa's POV}**

"Would you like to do the honours?"

The Doctor and I stood outside The Maitlands' house where Clara was staying. We had just gotten back from seeing Clara at her mother's funeral only minutes before. It was odd going back to see her after I was just peeking in on her life.

Technically it had only been a few hours since we left, but It was now morning. I don't know how long we were actually travelling for, but it was nighttime when we left. I still hadn't gotten the 7 hours of sleep i needed t or did I really need them at all since this was a dream? I definitely felt like I did.

"You mean I can ring a doorbell?" I ask, with obvious sarcasm. "Oh goody." I add, as we walk up the path towards the door.

"Oi, alright if you don't want to do it then..." The Doctor begins to say, as he lifts his hand toward the button.

"No...wait...I do." I say, changing my mind and yanking his hand out of the way.

I begin pressing her doorbell repeatedly, enough times so she would definitely hear it. It took only a second before Clara opened the door with a huge smile on her face.

"Oi...hi!" She shouts, smiling. "You're here?!" She looks at me. "You're still here?" She asks, grabbing me into a big hug, her book of '_101 Places to See_' jabbing into my back.

She then turns in the direction of the Doctor, who is standing slightly behind me, grinning at her.

"Good morning, Clara." He says.

"Morning, Doctor," she says to him as she steps outside, book in hand and closes the door behind her. She was wearing a navy blue dress with black stockings underneath. She had a black jacket over top of it and was carrying a red messenger bag. It looked sort of like old librarian chic.

"My how good it is to see you both," Clara says, pulling the Doctor into a hug.

"We never got a proper introduction, did we?" She states, after letting go of the Doctor and reaching out to me. She gives me her hand as we faced each other.

"I'm Clara and you're Elissa. How bout that?" She starts to shake my hand way before I could even try to shake hers. "Let's stir up trouble for this bloke, shall we?"

"Whatever you say," I tell her laughing. "You are really excited", I note, as she drops her hand.

"Yeah, well - " She begins.

"And you were waiting by the door, weren't you?" I ask her.

"Of course she was." The Doctor declares. "Now, come on you two... let's go." He beckons, as he turns around, back in the direction of the TARDIS.

Clara and I just stand by the door watching him walk. I remember specifically that Clara wanted him to ask her something so I assumed that's why she was waiting. Clara raises an eyebrow at the Doctor, then looks up at me as she was a good 3 inches shorter than I was even in her 2 inch heels.

"Ladies! Why don't I hear footsteps behind me?" The Doctor says as he stops midway, without turning around.

"Um Doctor, aren't you going ask me something?" Clara calls out.

The Doctor turns around. "Oh right...Clara..." He begins to say, pointing a finger in the air.

"Yes!" she shouts and dashes off towards the TARDIS before he can even finish.

* * *

"So we're moving... through actual time?" Clara giggles while peering through the TARDIS doors.

She then runs over to the Doctor who is leaning against the console. "So what's it made of? Time?" She asks. "I mean if you can just rotor through it...it's gotta be made of stuff like jam is made of strawberries...so what's it made of?"

"Well, not strawberries...no. No no no. That would be unacceptable..." He says straightening his bowtie. "Right Elissa?" He asks me, taking me out of my trance.

"Sorry - what?" I walk over to the steps and sit down. "I wasn't listening. I have no idea what you're talking about." I reply, resting my chin on the palm of my hand.

I wasn't really paying attention to him and I didn't bother paying attention to Clara either. To me they were just talking nonsense.

I jiggled my knees as I sat on the steps watching them, ready to be done with all this chatter. I don't see why Clara needed to have time explained to her. Time was time and space was space. Why did my dream Clara have to be so damn inquisitive anyway?

"And Elissa doesn't seem at all fazed by any of this," Clara notes, stopping and turning round to look at me. The Doctor turns to look at me as well.

"You're right. She doesn't seem to be aware of how amazing my ship is." The Doctor agrees. "Even when she was traveling through time with me. She's been as cool as a cucumber."

"Yeah..." I say, glancing up at them.. "It's almost like I've seen it all before. Strange," I mutter sarcastically.

"Plus," I add, finally leaping up. "I've been through time before...with him and we didn't exactly go see space or the future did we?" I ask. "We just went to see Clara and..." I stop before I say too much. The Doctor just gives me a wary look.

"...pick her up and whatever." I finish. "It was a really short trip, like 2 seconds." I assure.

I walk over to them.

"That's right. Two seconds. Definitely two seconds only." The Doctor agrees.

"Good point," Clara says.

"Well, all in good time ladies... Now Clara?"

"And we can go anywhere?" Clara asks, spinning round the console at the same time as the Doctor where they meet, on the opposite side.

"Within reason...well, I say reason." The Doctor lifts his hands and shrugs.

I begin looking at some of the buttons, and go to brush my fingers over one of them.

"Don't touch anything." he warns me, still looking at Clara.

"Relax," I tell him.

"So, we could go backwards in time?" Clara asks, glancing up.

"And space, yes." He adds.

"And forwards in time?" She asks.

"And space...totally...so..." He begins enthusiastically. " Where do you wanna go, eh? What do you wanna see?"

They both spin around the console, and found themselves on the opposite side where the TARDIS doors were. I look at Clara hoping she has an idea of somewhere we could go.

I had to admit that I had no problem being the silent observer. As long as I didn't up dying in this dream, I was fine. I was just waiting for the Doctor to actually take us somewhere. Though I was quite annoyed with all the spinning and turning they were doing that was making me feel dizzy.

The Doctor and I both look at her, waiting for her to answer. Clara's eyes light up, but a reply doesn't leave her lips.

Then her smile falls. "I don't know..." She says. Then she turns to me. "Elissa?"

"Um..." I begin, unsure of what answer to give.

"No don't look at her...Ignore her. She's not here." The Doctor tells Clara.

She turns back. "OK. Um...You know when someone asks you what's your favourite book and straight away you forget every single book that you've ever read?"

"No...Totally not." The Doctor answers, eagerly looking into Clara's eyes.

"Well, that's a thing... That...happens...Elissa knows what I'm talking about." She turns to me.

"And...'" He interrupts. "Back to the question."

"OK...So..." She nods. "So...So..." She says again, this time raising two fingers in the air, then running to the rail by the entrance.

"So", Clara says again facing the door, as the Doctor rubs his hands together behind her, while I walk over to stand beside him. We both face Clara's back, waiting for her to decide,

"I'd like to see... I would like to see...What I would like to see is..." Clara begins.

Meanwhile the Doctor was squirming around like he had ants in his pants.

Clara finally whips back around and is smiling. "Something awesome," she says.

The Doctor doesn't even hesitate. He snaps his fingers, makes his way to the console and yanks down a lever. I perk up a bit on the steps knowing that finally something is about to happen.

Clara swings down off the entrance step and makes her way over to me running, with her hand outstretched.

"Come on, Lissa, hold my hand," she says in front of me. "This is going to be so amazing."

"Lissa." She repeats aloud, then stops. "...you don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

I get up with a smile and take her hand. "No not all," I say. We both turn towards the Doctor.

"So this is it?" I ask, my excitement growing. "Are we actually going somewhere?" I ask aloud. "...somewhere not...here?"

"Yes... As far away from "here" as possible!" The Doctor shouts.

* * *

"Both of you close you eyes and give me one hand." The Doctor instructs us both.

Clara and I close our eyes and put out our hands.

"Clara you step out first," He says. I listen to the TARDIS door creak open and can hear their footsteps as he leads her out.

It was silent for a few seconds, Then I feel the Doctor's hand as he comes back to lead me out as well.

I step with hesitancy, causing the Doctor to place his hand on my shoulder and guide me forward.

I feel sand beneath my boots.

Then he stops. I hear heavy breathing beside me. Clara's. I reach out to the right and touch the side of Clara's dress. In return, Clara finds my hand with her fingers and latches onto me. I'm absolutely certain she has a big smile on her face.

Then I felt something cool and leathery being placed around my shoulders.

"I thought you might need this." The Doctor tells me. I realize it's a jacket.

"Thanks," I say. I let go of Clara's hand for a moment while keeping my eyes closed, while the Doctor puts my arms through the sleeves.

"Can you feel the light on your eyelids?" He asks after my arms are lowered. "That is the light of an alien sun."

The Doctor had one hand on my back, and I assume the other on Clara as he nudged the both of us ahead.

"Forward a couple of steps. OK. Are you ready?" He asks dropping his hands.

I peaked partially through my eyelids and saw orangey light coming through. _Was it the sun? Was he about to throw us into a pit of fire?_

"Yes...No...Yes?" I hear Clara say finally.

"Elissa?" The Doctor asks.

"Yes," I answer slowly.

Clara and I both open our eyes to see we're in space and standing on a small ledge. A sky full of stars and floating asteroid rocks. There is a huge orange sun or planet in the background and a larger rock thing that looks like it has people living there.

"Welcome to the Rings of Akhaten." The Doctor declares.

I turn to see the Doctor slightly behind us, grinning from ear to ear.

"It's..." Clara begins to say.

"Beautiful," I finish, as I stared up at the sky like I was in a trance.

"It is," The Doctor says. "It so completely is. But wait, there is more."

"More what?" Clara asks sounding out of breath.

"Wait, wait, wait." He looks down at his wrist watch.

"In about five, four, three, two.." He says, as he guides us forward some more, so Clara and I are now standing on the tip of the ledge.

We look into the sky waiting for it. Then, the asteroids move out of the way to reveal a golden pyramid glinting on a rock closer to the sun

"What is it?" I ask in complete awe.

"The Pyramid of the Rings of Akhaten. It's a holy site for the Sun Singers of Akhat."

"The who of what?" Clara asks, glancing back at the Doctor.

"Seven worlds orbiting the same star. All of them sharing a belief that life in the universe originated here, on that planet." He says, pointing to the left towards a huge rock planet with a bunch of structures and buildings.

"All life?" Clara asks.

"In the universe." He says.

"Did it?" She wonders.

"Well..." He pauses. "It's what they believe... It's a nice story."

"Can we see it... Up close?"

Doctor grins and reaches for our hands as he pulls us backward toward the TARDIS.

* * *

The Doctor and Clara run out of the TARDIS first, while I follow closely behind.

We find ourselves in a bazaar full of different shops as the three of us stood beside each other all looking at all the different species of aliens. Short ones, fat green ones, one with pointy heads,Purple ones with huge bug eyes, robots, some even human looking, but with odd coloured skin.

"Where are they from?" Clara asks the Doctor.

"Oh, you know, the local system, mostly." He tells us.

"And what do we call them?"

"Well, let's see. Ah! There go some Panbabylonians." The Doctor points to the tall purple ones with bug eyes and ribbed skulls

"A Lugal-Irra-Kush. Some Lucanians. A Hooloovoo." He continues, pointing to an array of different aliens.

Then he walks up to a purple man with a saggy face who was wearing armour dark glasses, a black hood.

"Ah" the Doctor says, clapping hands with the alien. "Qom VoTivig."

I gaze on as they wiggle their faces at each other, cross their hands with each other, then do a pelvic thrust.

What the hell? I think to myself and Clara just stares on in wonder. If the Doctor showed her alien dog shit, I bet she would think it was the best thing ever.

"That chap's a Terraberserker of the Kodion Belt." He muses. "You don't see many of them around any more.

"Oh!, he says running ahead of us. "That's an Ultramancer."

It was a robot thing with red eyes that had metal pipes coming out of his head.

"Do you know," he says walking back over to meet us. "I forget how much I like it here. We should come here more often."

"You've been here before?"

"Yes, yes, yes." He tells her. "I came here a long time ago with my granddaughter."

"Wait - what?" I ask.

The Doctor then dashes off through the crowd, leaving us to follow.

"Hang on!" Clara shouts, taking off after him. "Lissa!" She calls, beckoning me to come along.

I follow them.

When we catch up to the Doctor, he is carrying a gold basket full of fluorescent blue round things.

"Exotic fruit of some description." He says.

Clara reaches for one as the Doctor scans then uses his screwdriver to inspect them

I take one as well, but just poke it, before placing it back. Clara eagerly bites into hers.

"Right. Non-toxic, non-hallucinogenic. High in free radicals and low in other stuff, I shouldn't wonder."

Clara shakes her head.

"No?" He asks, putting the basket back down.

"So, why is everyone here?" Clara asks, with fruit still in her mouth. I look around for the fruit she just had in her and saw that she had just dropped it onto the floor. How rude.

"For the Festival of Offerings. Takes place every thousand years or so, when the rings align. It's quite a big thing, locally, like Pancake Tuesday."

As the Doctor and Clara walk on, I slow down for a moment to look at an array of beads on display.

Clara noticing I was gone, turns around to look for me, but instead walks right into angry bald alien with teeth.

"Oh!" She exclaims. The alien just barks snarls at her like it wants to bite her.

I go over to try and help her, holding onto her right arm in defence I guess. Though I was not really sure what I can do if the thing decides to take a chunk out of her.

"Erm... Doctor?" She calls out to him. As she stays frozen, I look around for him.

The Doctor then comes up from behind us on our left, barking at the thing like a Yorkshire terrier.

"What's happening? Why is it angry?" Clara asks, still a bit shaken up and not moving. At least we know there is nothing to worry about now that the Doctor is here. I let go of Clara's arm.

"This isn't an it, it's a she." He tells her. "Dor'een, meet Clara. Clara, meet Dor'een." He says, introducing them. I look at Dor'een and she - the alien, actually looks like it's smiling at us. In a creepy, evil way.

"Doreen?" Clara laughs at the name. It _was_ an odd name for an alien.

"Loose translation." He says. "She sounds a bit grumpy but she's a total love actually, aren't you? Yes, you are." The Doctor begins tickling her alien dog jowls as she coos. The strained half smile on my face is telling of how confused I am.

"No, actually, she's just asking if we fancy renting a moped." The Doctor tells us.

"Well both of you... Dor'een this is Elissa." He gestures towards me.

"Um...Hi," I say as I wave at her cautiously.

Dor'een barks something as she steps back and guides us toward what I guess was how their mopeds looked. It was a large silver thing with lights.

Clara barks back at Dor'een, seeming pleased with her self. I'm not sure she actually knows what she's saying - but Dor'een replied so I guess it did make sense somehow. I laughed. Well, cool then I guess.

"So, how much does it cost?" Clara asks.

"Not money." He says, looking at the both of us. "Something valuable. Sentimental value. A photograph, love letter, something like that. That's what's used for currency here."

I don't know why anyone would want to give up something as precious as that. I still wouldn't even think of throwing away my Mickey Mouse blanket I still had from when I was a baby.

The Doctor continues. "Psychometry. Objects psychically imprinted with their history. The more treasured they are, the more value they hold."

"That's horrible." Clara tells him, crossing her arms.

"Better than using bits of paper." He retorts in a ridiculing way.

"How is that better?" I ask.

Clara looks at me, then back at the Doctor. "Then you pay for us." She says to him, shrugging her shoulders.

I doubt either of us have brought anything with us that has sentimental value. I mean the Doctor had his screwdriver, but there was no way he would give that up, nor would I want him to.

"With what?" He asks.

"You're a thousand years old. You must have something you care about." She challenges.

Clara then turns around excitedly, and my gaze follows her for only a second before I turn around and see that the Doctor is now gone. I hear Clara giggling to herself. I frown.

**{Clara's POV}**

I begin to laugh about how extraordinary this place is until I turn around and notice the Doctor's absence and that Lissa doesn't even seem to be looking for him. She looks at me like she's waiting for me to do something. Lissa frowns, her full lips pouting. She puts her hands in her jacket pocket and shrugs as I maneuver my way around her.

"Doctor?" I call out as I glance around. I grab onto Lissa's arm as I look, so she doesn't decide to go off as well for any reason. I didn't want to lose her also.

"Uh...He's gone," Lissa says to me.

I didn't now much about Lissa, but I guessed she was probably in her late teens. It was still younger than me so I felt I needed to look out for her. I take Lissa by the hand as I run off to try and find The Doctor.

"Doctor?" I call out again. I let go of Lissa, as we both turn around to try and look this time.

Then, out of nowhere a young girl with flowing blond hair and a long red robe, runs right into us.

"Oh...Are you OK?" I ask, looking down at her. The little girl looks frightened and alone. A closer look at her reveals odd flesh-coloured raised markings on her face.

"Hey..." Lissa begins to say soothingly toward her, but then the girl just runs off. Lissa and I both look at each other startled, before turning around to see where she was headed. Through a back exit with green string beads handing down it.

We turn back around to see two tall men, with similar markings and clothing as the little girl who just passed.

"Have you seen her?" One of the taller men ask, directing his question at Lissa. I look at her and hope she doesn't say anything.

"Who?" She says in response.

"The Queen of Years." He says glancing at us both, like we are imbeciles.

"Who?" I reply this time. The only person I had seen was a little girl and she did not look like a queen to me. Unless...

The slightly taller man squints his eyes and just looks at the other one in confusion. He just dismisses us, as he points to the other one to get moving. They both go off in different directions.

"OK? What was that about?" Lissa asks, turning to me, her curls bouncing as she does. "Why do you think they wanted that girl?"

I look at her. So Lissa did agree with me that it was the girl they wanted and that it was good that we didn't say anything to give her away.

"I'm not sure.." I muse quietly as I look around to confirm that the two men were out of sight and going the wrong direction. "...but let's go after her and find out."

I take off and decide to follow the girl and hope that Lissa stays close behind.

***...***

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading! Every review is appreciated.

**NEXT UP:** Chapter 5, Pt 2


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